As is well known in the art, a skate boot for an ice hockey or roller hockey player may comprise an outer shell made of different layers and an inner liner or inner lining for covering the inner surface of the outer shell. The inner liner has an outer surface that is mounted to the inner surface of the outer shell and an inner surface adapted to contact the player's foot or the sock covering the player's foot.
The inner liner may be made of a layer of soft material such as a sheet of polyester laminated with a layer of foam, or of a layer of fabric made from nylon fibers.
Because of the repetitive flexing motions in the ankle region of the hockey player, the hockey sock covering the leg pad worn by the player and/or the boot tongue repetitively contact the upper medial and lateral inner regions of the inner liner and these portions are therefore exposed to much more friction and may eventually be partially or entirely be torn, abraded or damaged. This constant rubbing of the tongue and/or leg pad covered by the hockey sock is mostly concentrated to the upper medial and lateral inner regions of the inner liner around the first and second lace openings or eyelets of the skate boot, extending backwards from the lace openings or eyelets a few centimeters depending on the size of the skate boot.
There is therefore a need in the industry for a skate boot having an inner liner that has one or more overlays, coverings, layers or patches provided on the upper inner regions of the inner liner and made of a material that has more abrasion resistance than the remaining material of the inner liner.